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In 2008, transportation accounted for over one-quarter (approximately 27%) of Canada's total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with cars and light trucks accounting for about 12%.

The Government is committed to reducing total GHG emissions by 17% from 2005 levels by 2020. Canada is also committed to the goal of having 90% of electricity provided by non-emitting sources such as hydro, nuclear, clean coal or wind power by 2020.

The Canadian federal government has not established an official goal regarding the deployment of EVs on roads. However, both industry and some provinces have publicly announced some specific objectives.

The Province of Ontario has announced a vision to have one out of every 20 vehicles driven in Ontario to be electrically powered by 2020, and has stated a goal that 20% of eligible new Ontario Public Service passenger vehicle purchases will be EVs by 2020.

On April 7, 2011, the Québec Government unveiled its 2011–20 Action Plan for Electric Vehicles, in which they will invest $250 million on the deployment and use of EVs and the development of an industrial sector. The Action Plan set an ambitious target: by 2020, 25% of all new light passenger vehicle sales will be EVs (all-electric and rechargeable hybrids)—in other words, 118,000 EVs will be in use, representing 5% of Québec’s total light-vehicle fleet.

In addition, by 2030, the Québec Government anticipates that 1.2 million EVs will be traveling on Québec’s roads, representing 18% of the total number of light vehicles currently on the road.

Canada's electricity supply mix is one of the cleanest and most renewable in the world. Hydroelectricity, the largest renewable energy source in Canada, accounts for approximately 60% of Canada's electricity generation, making Canada the world's second largest producer of hydro power. Along with energy sources such as nuclear, biomass, wind, and solar, clean energy contributes approximately 75% of Canada's total electricity mix. As a result, the opportunity to reduce GHG emissions by electrifying the transportation system is significant.